I started with the SHE system in 1985. Implemented it in a month and followed it until 1998. Wasn't following it correctly but had returned the book to the library and my kids weren't still stuck to the kitchen floor so I thought I was doing fine enough.

Discovered online SHEs in 1998 and through them Happiness File (out of print I believe.) My life had changed and it turns out so had Pam and Peggy's so they updated the system. I revamped my system and continued on.

Later they moved it from cards to planner. I did that for a while but at the same time Flylady was taking their system to email reminders so I followed her for a bit.

Finally, I settled in with using Google Calendar to set up my recurring stuff and Zone charts (from the planner system) for the monthly and less often chores.

Most of the time, I dabble in the system and don't really do it. But the kids aren't at home, we downsized some and everything is easier now.

Plus, along the way, I learned that I had missed tidying daily as part of the SHE system. That makes a huge difference since a tidy home looks clean and a messy but clean home looks dirty. Unfair but true.

Most of the chores are a habit. Paperwork is my weakness so you'll see me struggling with that all the time (this is my corporate year-end so this is the time of year when I'm really in bad shape mentally.)

Oh, and I'm a lay preacher now so that takes a heck of a lot of mental space as I write sermons and services. That's my passion so staying away from that when I have so much paperwork to do is hard, especially when I have so many upcoming services (for some reason, I've been in demand for the past 6 months.)

Chatting/reading yesterday, I was thinking that in a way our entire site here is about our cards and how we have all tweaked our own systems from that basic foundation in the cardfile concept of dividing/identifying and placing into our days. And then naturally from that knowledge, discussions move to how we are doing at a given time within our systems - how we feel about successes or failures in certain areas, why we might change for a short or long time to a different method of chore reminders, or a different recording method, or generally switch things up, or just have a pity-party today and try again tomorrow. And from there to how, with chore-time planned, our inquiring minds can include diversion such as creativity or reading/learning, can incorporate reminders for quiet time, incorporate health time-planning, too. When we ask somebody here how to do the thing that puzzles us, that's made possible because we can identify that chore/task/skill/diversion and its absence. We have a system that shows us an overview. In theory, it also shows us whether we have time to start something new, lol.

I was thinking about the new cards I've come up with in the last while, maybe different from what others have, or maybe interesting, at least. I'll try to do more to show those, if only so that someone else can decide they certainly don't want to do what Harriet does, lol.

Been thinking about all this today. I've been doing it since 2001, so it's 15 years. Was thinking today, when I had the mishap in the kitchen with the water going everywhere because I neglected to turn off the little faucet, that my routines are so automatic now that I am doing them without thinking. I totally do not remember turning on that faucet to fill those ice bowls (part of my morning routine). I tried and tried to remember when I did that and could not. So, I'd say it does get easier.

I'm not a big card person because just the act of pulling cards out, moving them, etc. seems harder than looking at a full-size piece of paper. So I have all my stuff in a notebook.

Welcome!!!I kinda use a mix of cards plus a daily checklist -- it's overkill, in a way, but not really bc the cards are indispensable in reminding me of things that don't happen every day/week. And I prefer checking things off on a list, rather than just moving cards.

OTOH -- a lot of stuff just doesn't get done at all. My dh is having some health problems and my dmom needs me a lot, along with my son/ddil/2 dgrands. I'm in the middle of the sandwich generation and you can guess what gets squeezed out.